Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Pandora Tomorrow - GC - Review

Splinter Cell is
all about stealth. Hardcore stealth. Don't expect much action, because you
won't get any. Oftentimes when you're spotted and the alarm is sounded, you
don't even get the option of fighting your way out or hiding – the mission is
over. The shadows are your friend, and the light is your enemy. Killing is
rarely required and never encouraged.

Admittedly,
Pandora Tomorrow does allow one to be quite stealthy. As in the original, the
game offers a well thought out shadow system that actually works and keeps you
hidden from enemy eyes even when they're right in front of you – well, unless
they're equipped with fancy goggles like you are. At any time you can turn on
your night-vision or heat-sensor; the former is extremely useful as an extremely
large portion of the game is very dark, so much so that it is impossible to see
without them a lot of the time. You also have the ability to pick locks, peek
under closed doors, and use some nifty firearms (when allowed).

Actually, you have
an assortment of gadgets that are really neat and interesting. The highlight is
probably the sticky camera, which is shot like a bullet onto a surface some
distance away; once shot, you can check out the surroundings from a safe spot.
Shoot it before turning a corner into a dangerous path to analyze the situation,
or perhaps up a flight of stairs to see what waits at the top. The stick
shocker is also a clever little device. This little bugger can be shot at an
enemy and will send a burst of electricity through his body, causing a spasm and
a fall to the ground immediately afterwards. It can even be shot into a puddle
that a guard might be standing in, and the current will travel into his body – a
cute touch.

Your character in
the game is relatively versatile, for as old as he seems. He can run pretty
fast, but you're better off spending you're time in a crouched position as it is
much quieter. He can grab onto overhead pipes or wires and climb along them,
and you can even dangle upside down and use your weapons. And in tight
hallways, you can hop up and do a split-jump to steady yourself comfortably in
the air; this can even be used to reach higher ledges.

The levels in the
game offer a nice variety of experiences and demand that you change your
strategies to meet the specific needs of each area. Aside from America you’ll
travel to France, Indonesia, Israel, and others, and each area is pleasantly
distinct. The tall brush and heavy vegetation of one area asks for a different
type of stealth than the busy streets of a city where you must hide in the
shadows and dark, empty streets.

Unfortunately, the
game has its share of problems. The first and most noticeable annoyance are the
ridiculously long loading times that pop up with every checkpoint. You can save
your game only at checkpoints, and can only restart at a checkpoint as well.
The second problem with the game brings the first problem into light over and
over again: the trial-and-error nature of the gameplay. While not terribly
intrusive at first, it comes into light as you progress in the game and the
difficulty level rises. While you have some leeway in choosing how to tackle a
mission, it seems that only one or two of your options actually works. And
since the sounding of an alarm oftentimes means the mission is an immediate
failure, you're stuck going back to the checkpoint, waiting for it to load, and
then work your way back to where you were until you get everything just right.
Multiple paths are rare in this game, and trying to think outside of the box
doesn't seem to work when you want it to. If the gameplay doesn't seem
especially restrictive in your first play through of the game, it will in your
second time through, or when watching a friend. The game lacks replayability
due to its structure, and this drags it down greatly.

The graphics in
the game are not terribly impressive either. While not bad, the somewhat blocky
character models, repetitive textures, and often-black and white color of the
game (due to your night-vision being used so much) adds up to make a game that
is a bit bland. Shadows look great, of course, animation is decent, and the
occasional area just looks fabulous. But the majority of the game is less than
stellar, and even when it's at its finest it's still not quite on par with the
Xbox version. While this isn't a huge deal, the framerate isn't as good as it
could be, and that is, in fact, troublesome.

Another
disappointment is the utter lack of a multiplayer mode in the GameCube version.
While the Xbox version sports an innovative, stealth-focused four-player mode
that utilizes Xbox Live, the GameCube port doesn't even offer an offline mode.
Why this is, is unknown to me, but in any case, it's completely missing and this
really hurts the replayability factor that is already damaged from the
straightforward single-player mode.

While Splinter
Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is still a solid game, it doesn't offer a terrible lot
that it's predecessor didn't; if you're looking for more of the same, though,
then you're in luck. Still, the strict gameplay makes more than one trip
through the game a chore, and the lack of a multiplayer mode is inexcusable,
especially when the Xbox version actually has one that is worthwhile. If you
don't have an Xbox, the game still makes for a good rental, but one would hope
to avoid paying the full cost of an inferior version of a game that has its
share of problems.

Playing in the
shadows is fun, but the trial-and-error nature of the game is not. Getting it
just right is the only way to play this game, but if you don't mind that then
you'll have some fun.

Graphics: 7.0

Not bad, but
unimpressive, the graphics are adequate but little more.

Sound: 8.5

The game boasts a
good musical score, and when it's quiet the game gets tense. Voices, especially
the main characters, are very well done.

Concept: 6.5

Although it's
still one of a kind as far as stealth gaming goes, it does little to separate
itself from the original Splinter Cell. The praised innovative multiplayer mode
is entirely missing from the GameCube version for some reason.

Overall: 7.0

Pandora Tomorrow
does stealth better than anyone else. On one hand, it does shadows like
nobodies business, offers slick gadgets for you to use, and it's well-done
levels force you to use different strategies to progress. On the other hand,
the strict, straightforward gameplay leaves little room for creativity or
freedom on the end of the gamer, and the constant deaths and lengthy load times
hurt the game more than help it. The lack of a multiplayer mode is ridiculous,
and as a result, the game will be put aside on a shelf once it is completed for
the first time. A rental would not be bad if you liked the original, but it is
hard to recommend a purchase.